Join ARC at our annual Holiday Open House. Enjoy an assortment of delicious vegan cheese, non-alcoholic wine, and other beverages. Meet other people who care about animals and browse for animal friendly holiday gifts from our great selection of unique merchandise. Location is the ARC office/Ethique Nouveau, 317 W 48th St. in Minneapolis from 1:00-4:00 p.m. RSVP at Vegan Meetup: http://www.meetup.com/vegan-415

Join ARC at our annual Holiday Open House. Enjoy an assortment of delicious vegan cheese, non-alcoholic wine, and other beverages. Meet other people who care about animals and browse for animal friendly holiday gifts from our great selection of unique merchandise. Location is the ARC office/Ethique Nouveau, 317 W 48th St. in Minneapolis from 1:00-4:00 p.m. RSVP at Vegan Meetup: http://www.meetup.com/vegan-415

Join Shawn and learn how to make fun holiday foods, including raspberry beer bread. This is a demo class with sampling. Class is $12 for co-op members and $15 for non-members.Location is Mississippi Market, 1500 W 7th St. in St. Paul from 10:00 a.m. to noon. RSVP at Vegan Meetup: https://www.meetup.com/vegan-415/events/235882433/

Join Shawn and learn how to make fun holiday foods, including raspberry beer bread. This is a demo class with sampling. Class is $12 for co-op members and $15 for non-members.Location is Mississippi Market, 1500 W 7th St. in St. Paul from 10:00 a.m. to noon. RSVP at Vegan Meetup: https://www.meetup.com/vegan-415/events/235882433/

Are you newly vegan, know someone who is, or looking to expand your plant-based diet? Join Megan, one of our vegan mentors, as you\'re guided on a tour of Whole Foods, 222 Hennepin Ave. in Minneapolis (meet near the customer service desk). You’ll learn simple tips for reading labels, discover products you\'ve overlooked in the past, and have your questions on veganism answered. We will also discuss how to become a more environmentally friendly shopper. With help from Megan, you can make ethically sound and health-conscious choices about what you eat! RSVP at Vegan Meetup: http://www.meetup.com/vegan-415

Are you newly vegan, know someone who is, or looking to expand your plant-based diet? Join Megan, one of our vegan mentors, as you're guided on a tour of Whole Foods, 222 Hennepin Ave. in Minneapolis (meet near the customer service desk). You’ll learn simple tips for reading labels, discover products you've overlooked in the past, and have your questions on veganism answered. We will also discuss how to become a more environmentally friendly shopper. With help from Megan, you can make ethically sound and health-conscious choices about what you eat! RSVP at Vegan Meetup: http://www.meetup.com/vegan-415

The social pressures of being vegan are more pronounced during special occasions such as holidays, birthdays, religious ceremonies, and other food-based events. Sometimes there is pressure to represent veganism, but doing so positively and easily can be challenging for some, especially if it\'s your first major event as a vegan. This workshop is a place to discuss how to talk to others about why you\'re eating what you\'re eating at a significant social gathering (and decide whether you should say anything at all).
We will also review a list of common social issues specific to special occasions. Vegans often feel social pressure to represent themselves and the movement, and this workshop is a place where you can learn how to find a middle ground between representing veganism, but also not placing too much of a burden on yourself. Please feel free to bring questions and situations that you would like to discuss. Workshop is at the ARC office/Ethique Nouveau at 317 W 48th St. in Minneapolis. RSVP at Vegan Meetup: http://www.meetup.com/vegan-415

The social pressures of being vegan are more pronounced during special occasions such as holidays, birthdays, religious ceremonies, and other food-based events. Sometimes there is pressure to represent veganism, but doing so positively and easily can be challenging for some, especially if it's your first major event as a vegan. This workshop is a place to discuss how to talk to others about why you're eating what you're eating at a significant social gathering (and decide whether you should say anything at all).
We will also review a list of common social issues specific to special occasions. Vegans often feel social pressure to represent themselves and the movement, and this workshop is a place where you can learn how to find a middle ground between representing veganism, but also not placing too much of a burden on yourself. Please feel free to bring questions and situations that you would like to discuss. Workshop is at the ARC office/Ethique Nouveau at 317 W 48th St. in Minneapolis. RSVP at Vegan Meetup: http://www.meetup.com/vegan-415

We are receiving lots of fur donations for our Cuddle Coats program and want to ship them to our wildlife rehab partners as soon as possible. Meet at the ARC office (co-located with Ethique Nouveau) at 317 W 48th St. in Minneapolis at 6:00 pm to help prep fur coats and accessories for shipment. Wear clothes that can get a little fuzzy. This is a great, low key way to volunteer and meet some of the other people in the group while helping to save animal lives.

We are receiving lots of fur donations for our Cuddle Coats program and want to ship them to our wildlife rehab partners as soon as possible. Meet at the ARC office (co-located with Ethique Nouveau) at 317 W 48th St. in Minneapolis at 6:00 pm to help prep fur coats and accessories for shipment. Wear clothes that can get a little fuzzy. This is a great, low key way to volunteer and meet some of the other people in the group while helping to save animal lives.

The Animal Rights Coalition operates Ethique Nouveau; a vegan boutique, where all purchases help fund our animal advocacy programs, at 317 W. 48th St. in Minneapolis. The ARC office is located at the same address.

Not Every Cat has Nine Lives at AHS

Comments OffFebruary 21st, 2012

The Animal Humane Society’s five area shelters provide impound services for over 20 cities in and around the metro area, including Afton, Minnesota. In September 2009, a group of Afton residents asked their City Council to review the animal control arrangement between Afton and AHS. This request arose from the discovery that in May 2009, seven cats were caught in live traps, taken to the AHS shelter in Woodbury, and euthanized the same day. By doing so, AHS failed to honor the five-day waiting period as required by Minnesota law. After looking into the matter, the Afton City Council voted unanimously to terminate its impound contract with AHS.
The immediate killing of the seven Afton cats was not an isolated incident. A response from AHS to a complaint filed by Animal Ark, the Animal Rights Coalition, and the No Kill Advocacy Center confirmed that AHS regularly kills strays they believe may be “feral” on arrival without holding them for the required period and without giving guardians of those cats an opportunity to find them. In fact, AHS admitted to killing about 500 cats this way in 2009.

Although AHS routinely kills “feral” cats upon arrival at their facilities, they have no established protocol for determining which cats are feral or which ones may simply be terrified companion animals. ARC, Animal Ark, and the No Kill Advocacy Center believe that guardians of shy, fearful, or unsocialized cats have as much right to reclaim their animals if they are impounded as do guardians of friendly cats.

There is no statutory language in the law that provides a basis for killing feral cats without holding them the required five days even in the unlikely event AHS staff could accurately determine which cats are feral. Additionally, there is nothing in state law that prohibits people from keeping outdoor or unsocialized cats.

Animal Ark, the Animal Rights Coalition, and the No Kill Advocacy Center are doing all we can to ensure that AHS follows state law and stops the practice of killing cats immediately upon arrival at their facilities. See Chronology of the Animal Humane Society Stray Cat Craziness for additional detail on this issue.